Malt Riot

Client: Glasgow Distillery Co.
Sector: Whisky, spirits, drinks, packaging
Services: Strategy, brand, identity, packaging

Glasgow Distillery Company’s first blended malt whisky needed a bold, memorable brand. We looked to Glasgow’s rebellious history to build an emotive, authentic story and uncovered the Glasgow Malt Riots of 1725, when the people of Glasgow came together to literally ‘stand up for the good stuff’.

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Discover

We looked for a historical truth on which we could build a strong brand. We uncovered the story of the 1725 Glasgow Malt Riots - protests against a grain tax, from which the whole modern whisky industry sprang.

Develop.

We reflected the passion of the rioters in our brand copy: ‘Stand up for the good stuff’. We crafted emotive type and illustration with a vibrant, distinctive colour palette, grounded by a traditional bottle shape.

Deliver.

We took the brand to market on the bottle and across digital platforms. Malt Riot has been a huge hit with bold shelf standout in stores, and was quickly picked up by Tesco for national distribution.

The story of the Malt Riots is a wonderful example of the fiery passion and determination of our city. It involves the people of Glasgow taking a stand for what they believe in, and was a catalyst that helped forge the Scotch whisky industry as we know it today.
Liam Hughes
CEO & co-founder, Glasgow Distillery Co.

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